Opening prayers for wedding

The Best Wedding Prayer for Your Wedding Ceremony

August 29, 2018 Riana Ang-Canning

If bringing religious or cultural elements into your wedding ceremony is important to you, you may want to consider adding a wedding prayer. A wedding prayer is a great way to honour your faith and connect your ceremony to something spiritual. It can be delivered by your officiant or by a guest of honour.

Wedding prayers are not reserved for traditional religious or Christian weddings. Couples of all faiths can include prayers into their ceremony. You may even find some prayers on this list that work for a secular (non-religious) ceremony.

Like with all things in your wedding, we believe it should be done your way. If you love one of the prayers here and want to use it in your ceremony, go for it! If you like bits and pieces of different prayers, go ahead and create your own. If the language is outdated, the pronouns don’t fit or you want to address your prayer to a different name, change whatever you want. There’s no one right way to say a wedding prayer.

And if a wedding prayer isn’t for you, you may want to consider adding a reading or a quote to your ceremony. Check out our readings (romantic, offbeat, from songs, from literature, and from TV/movies) and quote options.

Here are 27 wedding prayers that could work perfectly for your ceremony:

Opening prayer:

Lord God Almighty,

Creator of the heavens and earth.

Thank you for the gift of marriage

For all the joy and love that it brings us.

We thank you for NAME and NAME

Thank you that you have brought them together for this special day,

And that you hold them safely in Your hands.

We pray that you would richly bless them as they exchange their vows and their wedding rings,

And from this day forward they would walk hand in hand into everything that you have destined them to be.

We give our hearts and beings to You now in adoration,

And welcome Your Holy Spirit amongst us.

Amen.

Closing prayer:

Gracious God, our hearts are filled with great happiness on this the wedding day of NAME and NAME. They come before you, pledging their lives and their hearts to one another.

Grant that they may be ever true and loving, living together in such a way as to never bring heartbreak into their marriage.

Temper their hearts with kindness and help them to be sweethearts, helpmates, friend and guide, and together, may they meet the cares and problems of life more bravely.

May their home truly be a place of love and harmony where your Spirit is ever present. Bless their wedding day, we pray, and walk beside them, through all their life together. Amen.

Short blessing:

Lord bless this beautiful couple with love and hope we pray.

Keep alive forever more the vows they’ve pledged today.

May you bless their dreams and visions,

And keep them always safe.

May peace and joy be with them now

On this their wedding day.

Photo by Sara Rogers Photography

Benediction:

God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, bless, preserve, and keep you;

the Lord mercifully with his favor look upon you,

and fill you with all spiritual benediction and grace;

that you may faithfully live together in this life,

and in the age to come have life everlasting.

Amen.

Episcopal wedding prayer:

Eternal God, creator and preserver of all life, author of salvation, and giver of all grace:

Look with favor upon the world you have made, and for which your Son gave his life,

and especially upon this man and this woman whom you make one flesh in Holy Matrimony.

Amen.

Give them wisdom and devotion in the ordering of their common life,

that each may be to the other a strength in need, a counselor in perplexity,

a comfort in sorrow, and a companion in joy.

Amen.

Celtic blessing 1:

May there always be work for your hands to do.

May your purse always hold a coin or two.

May the sun always shine upon your window pane.

May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain.

May the hand of a friend always be near to you and

May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

Celtic blessing 2:

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face;

the rains fall soft upon your fields

and until we meet again,

may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Celtic blessing 3:

Happy is the bride that rain falls on

May your mornings bring joy and your evenings bring peace.

May your troubles grow few as your blessings increase.

May the saddest day of your future

Be no worse than the happiest day of your past.

May your hands be forever clasped in friendship

And your hearts joined forever in love.

Your lives are very special,

God has touched you in many ways.

May his blessings rest upon you

And fill all your coming days.

We swear by peace and love to stand,

Heart to heart and hand to hand.

Hark, O Spirit, and hear us now,

Confirming this our Sacred Vow.

Photo by Clint Bargen Photography

Scottish blessing 1:

A thousand welcomes to you with your marriage kerchief,

May you be healthy all your days.

May you be blessed with long life and peace,

May you grow old with goodness, and with riches.

Scottish blessing 2:

May the blessing of light be on you, light without and light within. May the blessed sunlight shine on you like a great peat fire, so that stranger and friend may come and warm himself at it. And may light shine out of the two eyes of you, like a candle set in the window of a house, bidding the wanderer come in out of the storm. And may the blessing of the rain be on you, may it beat upon your Spirit and wash it fair and clean, and leave there a shining pool where the blue of Heaven shines, and sometimes a star. And may the blessing of the earth be on you, soft under your feet as you pass along the roads, soft under you as you lie out on it, tired at the end of day; and may it rest easy over you when, at last, you lie out under it. May it rest so lightly over you that your soul may be out from under it quickly; up and off and on its way to God. And now may the Lord bless you, and bless you kindly.

Bless this union wedding prayer:

Dear God, thank you for this joyous day.

Thank you for Your Light that has entered NAME and NAME’s life.

Thank you for all the miracles and blessings.

Please bless this union.

Help NAME and NAME find the perfect place in this world for their love to flourish.

Let the radiant light of their love shine on all those around them.

May all their future creations be blessed.

God, bless them with the inner gifts of trust, compassion, forgiveness and truth that they may live and grow together in love and peace.

Amen.

Nature of love wedding prayer:

Father of mankind, whose nature is love, look with favor upon this woman and this man who desire to make their vows before you.

We are grateful for the providence that has led to this union.

Grant this to be more than an outward union, but also the blending of hearts and spirits and purposes.

Bless each with the inward qualities of integrity, trust, cooperation and forgiveness, that they may live together in love and peace.

Amen.

Blessed wedding prayer:

Blessed are the man and the woman who have grown beyond themselves and have seen through their separations.

They delight in the way things are and keep their hearts open, day and night.

They are like trees planted near flowing rivers, which bear fruit when they are ready.

Their leaves will not fall or wither.

Everything they do will succeed.

Blessed is one who comes in the name of Love.

Greek wedding prayer:

I invoke Thee, Who art the greatest of all, Who created all, Who generated it from thyself, Who sees all and is never seen.

We ask Your blessing for NAME and NAME today as they enter into this cherished covenant.

We ask You to bless this community of friends and family who pledge their love and support of NAME and NAME’s marriage.

Infinite One, fly ahead of them

Open the way

Prepare the path

Spirity of the sun

Mother of the light

Come to them!

Amen.

Photo by Pebble & Pine

Apache blessing:

Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be a shelter for the other.

Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other.

Now there will be no loneliness, for each of you will be a companion to the other.

Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before you.

Go now to your dwelling place to enter the days of your togetherness.

May beauty surround you both in the journey ahead and through all the years.

May happiness be your companion, and may your days together be good and long upon the earth.

Cherokee wedding prayer:

God in heaven above, please protect the ones we love.

We honor all You created as they pledge their hearts and lives together.

We honor mother-earth and ask for their marriage to be abundant and grow stronger through the seasons.

We honor fire and ask that our their union be warm and glowing with love in their  hearts.

We honor wind and ask that their sail through life safe and calm as in their Father’s arms.

We honor water to clean and soothe their relationship that it may never thirst for love.

With all the forces of the universe You created, we pray for harmony and true happiness as their forever grow young together.

Amen.

1st Corinthians 13:4-7:

Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud.

Love is never haughty or selfish or rude. Love does not demand its own way.

Love is not irritable or touchy. Love does not hold grudges and will hardly notice when others do it wrong.

Love is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth wins out. If you love someone, you will be loyal to them no matter what the costs.

You will always believe in them, always expect the best in them, and will always stand your ground in defending them.

Family wedding prayer:

Lord, behold our family here assembled.

We thank you for this place in which we dwell,

for the love that unites us,

for the peace accorded us this day,

for the hope with which we expect the morrow,

for the health, the work, the food, and the bright skies that make our lives delightful;

for our friends in all parts of the earth.

Amen

Hebrew wedding prayer:

Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who hath created joy and gladness, bridegroom and bride, mirth and exultation, pleasure and delight, love and brotherhood, peace and friendship. May there soon be heard in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of joy and gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the jubilant voice of bridegrooms from the wedding canopy, and of youths from their feasts of song. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who gives the Bridegroom joy in his bride.

Photo by Erica Miller Photography

Song of Solomon:

I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine .

My beloved speaks and says to me: Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away; for lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance.

Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the covert of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and your face is comely. Set me as a seal upon your heart and seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death, jealousy cruel as the grave.

It flashes are flashes of fire, a most vehement flame.

Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly scorned. I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.

Muslim wedding Dua (for the couple):

Oh Allah, bless our marriage and let it be a means for us to become closer to You in love and devotion. Let it be a source of untold blessings, happiness and joy.

Oh Allah, let our marriage be a way for us and our families to enter Jannah.

Ya Allah, protect our marriage from the whisperings of Shaytan. Give us the strength to live together in justice, equity, love and, mercy.

My Lord, let this marriage bring untold blessings to us individually, to our families, and our children Insha Allah.

My Creator, bless us with children who will be a source of great joy and happiness.

Oh Allah, give us the love which you had blessed Muhammad, Allah’s Peace and blessings be upon him, and Khadija with, May Allah be pleased with her.

Muslim wedding Dua (for the guests):

Oh Allah, bless this couple with faith, love and happiness in this world and the Next.

O Allah, You are the Loving (Al Wadud) and the Merciful (Al Rehman). Please put love and mercy in the hearts of this couple for each other.

Our Creator, strengthen the hearts of the bride and groom with faith, and let them increase in their love and commitment to You through their bond.

Oh Lord of the Universe, all power is with You. Let this couple’s marriage become a beautiful example to other couples.

My God, protect this couple from the misguidance and planning of Shaytan. Help them resist his call to break their bond.

Oh Allah, bless this couple with children who will be a source of happiness and joy to them and the world.

Oh Allah, unite the couple and their families in faith and love.

Oh Lord, You are the Just. Let this couple live their lives being fair and just to each other.

Oh Forgiver (Ghafoor), bless this couple with the strength to forgive each other’s shortcomings.

Oh Allah, give them the loving relationship which Muhammad and Aisha had. May Allah be pleased with them.

Buddhist wedding prayer:

Today we promise to dedicate ourselves completely to each other, with body, speech, and mind.

In this life, in every situation, in wealth or poverty, in health or sickness, in happiness or difficulty, we will work to help each other perfectly.

The purpose of our relationship will be to attain enlightenment by perfecting our kindness and compassion toward all sentient beings.

A Blessing for The Journey (Buddhist wedding prayer):

Let us vow to bear witness to the wholeness of life, realizing the completeness of each and every thing.

Embracing our differences, I shall know myself as you, and you as myself.

May we serve each other for all our days, here, there, and everywhere.

Let us vow to open ourselves to the abundance of life.

Freely giving and receiving, I shall care for you, for the trees and stars, as treasures of my very own.

May we be grateful for all our days, here, there, and everywhere.

Let us vow to forgive all hurt, caused by ourselves and others, and to never condone hurtful ways.

Being responsible for my actions, I shall free myself and you.

Will you free me, too?

May we be kind for all our days, here, there, and everywhere.

Let us vow to remember that all that appears will disappear.

In the midst of uncertainty, I shall sow love.

Here! Now! I call to you:

Let us together live

The Great Peace that we are.

May we give no fear for all our days, here, there, and everywhere.

Photo by Erica Miller Photography

Hindu wedding prayer:

To the Holy Son of Shiva and Parvati,

To the remover of all obstacles, Lord Ganesha,

We Petition for Blessings,

To sanctify this ceremony of marriage,

And to bless this marriage in all ways.

Lord Ganesha.

You are the speaker.

You are the listener.

You are the giver.

You are the sustainer.

Please protect us from all directions.

Let us listen with our ears to that which is auspicious, adorable one.

Let us perceive with our eyes what is holy.

With strong, stable body and limbs, may we seek divine grace and accept the noble order of all our lives.

O Lord Ganesha, please provide for the welfare of this family.

Guide prosperity and abundance to their door.

Please help them feel your goodness and Divinity within their home.

We place any challenges of married life at your feet

And trust you will always help.

We thank you with all of our hearts.

Prayer of St. Francis:

Eternal One, make me an instrument of your peace;

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

when there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

and where there is sadness, joy.

Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

to be understood, as to understand,

to be loved as to love;

for it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Wedding prayer from Al-Fatiha, the Holy Qur’an:

In the name of God, the infinitely Compassionate and Merciful.

Praise be to God, Sovereign of all the worlds.

The Compassionate, the Merciful. Ruler on the Day of Reckoning.

You alone do we worship, and You alone do we ask for help.

Guide us on the straight path, the path of those who have received your grace;

not the path of those who have brought down wrath, nor of those who wander astray.

Amen.

Which wedding prayer are you choosing for your ceremony?
Let us know! 

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More than ever today, as a husband and wife unite in marriage, they need the prayers and blessings of friends and loved ones to help them build a strong foundation of godly love established on Christ, their Rock. If you want to give something special and lasting to a couple on their wedding day, here are two sample prayers you can offer on their behalf. Feel free to use these prayers and marriage blessings as a part of your own ceremony!

A Wedding Day Prayer

Dear Lord,

As this couple begins their lives together on their wedding day, I pray that their hearts will unite as one with You in their desire to make You the center. May this day be the start of something beautiful, a celebration unlike any other.

As they offer their vows to one another in the sight of God and others, give them a clear understanding of their commitment to each other. May their loyalty in marriage mirror Your own love and faithfulness to all Your children. Let them know that two are better than one as they mutually invest in and depend on each other—but that the third strand of their marriage ties should always be You. 

May their love—like the wedding rings they will wear—be a circle that never ends. Grow that love relationship into one that is patient and kind, not boastful or proud, one that is unselfish and trusting, and a love that protects and perseveres through every season of life.

I pray you will give this couple unforgettable moments, unending dedication, and unselfish motives as they pledge their devotion to each another. In every way possible, make the house they build together a godly home—a place where hurts are healed with grace, a place where hearts are sealed with forgiveness, and a place where emotions feel safe when shared with honesty and gentleness. Keep their communication open—with You, and with each other as they make prayer a constant priority.

Lord, today and every day, let laughter echo in the halls of their hearts and home; let joy fill every room; and let the radiance of Your face shine on them, bless them, and give them a gracious peace that passes all understanding. Light a fire of passion that prompts them to love you with all their heart, soul, and strength, and one that engulfs their own union as man and wife in purity and oneness. Help them to bear each other’s burdens, even as they cast their cares on Your shoulders. May they always choose to see the best in each other, even in the worst of times.

May they visualize their marriage as more than just a bonding of two lives, but as two on mission for You, Lord—a lighthouse of refuge, a welcome place for encouragement, and a testimony to Your power and grace. Help them to cherish their wedding day as a sacred memorial, and their union as a treasure to protect at all costs. Make it a reminder of hope that keeps on going and faith that keeps on growing. Help them to believe that all things are possible through Christ, the One who began the good work in them.

Lord, on their wedding day, may every word spoken and every precious token remind them of the One who holds all things together and who makes all things good. Together as this couple stands side by side, and hand in hand, hold them tightly and never let them go. Fill their hearts with unceasing gratitude. Be their vision, their strength, and their constant companion.

In Jesus’s name,
Amen

A Wedding Ceremony Prayer

Father in Heaven, thank You for this husband, ______, and wife, _______, and their commitment to Christian marriage. As we look ahead, we pray that their future will never lack the convictions that make a marriage strong.

Bless this husband, ______. Bless him as provider and protector. Sustain him in all the pressures that come with the task of stewarding a family. May his strength be his wife’s boast and pride, and may he so live that his wife may find in him the haven for which the heart of a woman truly longs.

Bless this wife, ______. Give her a tenderness that makes her great, a deep sense of understanding, and a strong faith in You. Give her that inner beauty of a soul that never fades, that eternal youth that is found in holding fast to the things that never age. May she so live that her husband may be pleased to reverence her in the shrine of his heart.

Teach them that marriage is not living for each other. It is two people uniting and joining hands to serve You. Give them a great spiritual purpose in life. May they seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness, knowing that You will sustain them through all of life’s challenges.

May they minimize each other’s weaknesses and be swift to praise and magnify each other’s strengths so that they might view each other through a lover’s kind and patient eyes. Help them every day to be kind and gentle, more like You. Give them a little something to forgive each day, that their love might learn to be long-suffering.

Bless them and develop their characters as they walk together with You. Give them enough hurts to keep them humane, enough failures to keep their hands clenched tightly in Yours, and enough of success to make them sure they walk with You throughout all of their life.

May they never take each other’s love for granted but always experience that breathless wonder that exclaims, “Out of all this world, you have chosen me.” Then, when life is done and the sun is setting, may they be found then as now, still hand in hand, still very proud, still thanking You for each other.

May they travel together as friends and lovers, brother and sister, husband and wife, father and mother, and as servants of Christ until He shall return or until that day when one shall lay the other into the arms of God. This we ask through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, the Great Lover of our souls. Amen.

excerpt by Lysa Terkeurst

Rebecca Barlow Jordan is an inspirational author, speaker, and passionate follower of Jesus who loves to encourage others heart to heart. She has written 11 books and over 1700 other articles, greeting cards, and other inspirational pieces. Her daily devotional Daily in Your Presence is available for delivery through Crosswalk.com. You can find out more about Rebecca at www.rebeccabarlowjordan.com.

Publication date: June 30, 2017

Image courtesy:©Thinkstock/pgaborphotos

This article is part of our larger Prayers resource meant to inspire and encourage your prayer life when you face uncertain times. Visit our most popular prayers if you are wondering how to pray or what to pray. Remember, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us and God knows your heart even if you can’t find the words to pray.

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